Typhoon in Japan: What the Alert Levels Mean and What to Do

When a typhoon heads for Japan, the alert level to remember is 4: an Urgent Warning at Alert Level 4 means all residents should evacuate from dangerous areas, while Level 3 asks only people who need more time to leave. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues these alerts for heavy rain, flood, landslide and storm surge, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) offers printable phrase cards for asking about trains, buses and airports afterward.

1. How JMA names the strength of a typhoon

JMA classifies tropical cyclones by maximum wind speed, in knots (kt):

The category tells you how strong the wind is. It does not tell you whether your area is in danger from rain, which is why the warnings below matter more for what you actually do.

2. The five alert levels

JMA's Emergency Warning System page says that in 2026 it reorganized Warnings and Advisories by type of disaster (heavy rain, flood, landslide, storm surge) and sorted them into five alert levels. The level number is now part of the warning name. The framework comes from the Cabinet Office and was designed to make the action obvious.

JMA states that it is important to finish evacuating while an Urgent Warning is in effect at the latest. JMA's page lists no evacuation action for Level 2, so the table entry is only a reminder to keep checking updates. For an Emergency Warning, JMA describes a risk of a magnitude observed only once every few decades. Storm, high waves and heavy snow have their own Warnings and Emergency Warnings.

As a visitor, treat Level 3 as your signal too if you have limited mobility or are traveling with small children, since you may be among the people who need extra time.

3. Where to see alerts in English

JNTO's Safety tips website links to JMA's weather warnings and advisories page, and says JMA issues Advisories when heavy rain or strong winds may cause damage, Warnings when a serious disaster may occur, and Emergency Warnings for a devastating disaster expected once every several decades. The free Safety tips app pushes weather warnings in 15 languages, including English, and includes an evacuation flowchart. Install it before the trip and allow notifications.

4. Where to shelter

JNTO explains that a designated evacuation shelter is a facility where residents can stay until the risk has passed. Public facilities such as schools and community centers are designated by local governments. JNTO adds that some hotels or Japanese inns are designated to accept evacuated residents, and asks you to confirm with your accommodation. Ask the front desk on arrival what the plan is during a typhoon.

5. Phrases for when the weather turns

JNTO's Transportation card prints these phrases in Japanese with romanization, and the blank is for a place name:

• ＿＿＿ 空港は、使えますか？ [kuukou wa tsukaemasu ka] "Is ＿＿＿ Airport operating?"
• どうしたら ＿＿＿ 空港に行けますか？ [doushitara ＿＿＿ kuukou ni ikemasu ka] "How can I get to ＿＿＿ Airport?"
• (電車・バス・空港は) いつ復旧しますか？ [(densha / basu / kuukou wa) itsu fukkyuu shimasu ka] "When will the (train / bus / airport) be back in service?"
• ＿＿＿ への行き方を教えてください。 [＿＿＿ e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai] "Please tell me the way to ＿＿＿."

Two more words are standard vocabulary, not taken from JNTO's cards: 台風 [taifuu], typhoon, and 運休 [unkyuu], a service suspension, which you may see on station boards. For the evacuation-shelter question 避難所はどこですか and the other disaster phrases, see the guide to Japanese phrases for an earthquake or other disaster.

6. A simple typhoon plan

1. Install Safety tips and check the JMA page the evening before any travel day.
2. Ask your accommodation whether it is a designated shelter and where to go if told to evacuate.
3. If Level 3 appears for your area and you need extra time, leave early.
4. At Level 4, evacuate from dangerous areas; do not wait for the storm to peak.
5. Afterward, use the Transportation card to ask when services return.

7. Key takeaways

• Level 3 is for people who need more time to evacuate; Level 4 means everyone should evacuate from dangerous areas.
• Level 5 is an Emergency Warning for a once-in-decades risk.
• JMA's typhoon categories run from Tropical Storm (34 kt) to Violent Typhoon (105 kt or more).
• The Safety tips app sends weather warnings in 15 languages.
• Ask your hotel about its shelter role, and use JNTO's Transportation card for service questions.